Quadrotor UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are typically characterized by a center body having four arms coming out laterally in an X configuration (when viewed from above). Each arm supports one helicopter-type rotor directed upward. Typical control for a quadrotor aircraft is accomplished by varying the speed of each rotor, which typically is counter-rotating with respect to the rotors on either side of the rotor (and rotating in the same direction as the rotor on the opposite side).
For example, hovering is accomplished by having pairs of opposite corner blades operating together, in a rotational direction opposite of the other blades, and at equal speeds. Yawing is accomplished by relatively speeding up one opposing-corner pair with respect to the other, while pitch and roll is accomplished by relatively varying the speed of adjacent pairs of blades. Forward, reverse and side-to-side motion is accomplished by tilting the craft in pitch or roll to cause the sum of the forces of the motors to include a lateral component. Various other control protocols are known in the art.
A typical battery-operated unmanned vehicle is characterized by a primary structural body member (e.g., a fuselage) into which all of the command and control hardware and software are individually, integrally or removably attached. The batteries are typically provided in a lightweight package such as a shrink-wrap tube, which is removably received into a battery slot of the fuselage. The fuselage typically provides structural support and protection to the batteries once they are received in the battery slot.
Lithium batteries are typically considered a preferred battery type. Due to the risks in shipping lithium batteries, there are strict Department of Transportation requirements on shipping containers for lithium batteries and battery packs (i.e., groups of interconnected batteries). A copy of the UN Manual of Test and Criteria, 4th Revised Edition, Lithium Battery Testing Requirements is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Because of the strict shipping requirements for lithium batteries, robust shipping containers meeting the shipping requirements are typically used for carrying multiple batteries and/or battery packs during shipping.
Once the shipping is completed and the batteries are disseminated to end users, the batteries and/or battery packs may lose the protection of the robust packing container, and be subject to damage until they are installed into their respective vehicles. Typically, each battery pack is both specifically configured for and provided to a single type of vehicle or device. Thus, the provision of batteries is susceptible to damage, and meeting shipping requirements can be challenging when a wide array of battery types must be shipped.
Accordingly, there has existed a need for a battery-operable vehicle system in which batteries are not vulnerable to damage when unprotected by shipping containers, and which they may be freely usable by a multitude of vehicles and other devices. Preferred embodiments of the present invention satisfy these and other needs, and provide further related advantages.